Valve-gear for explosive-engines.



. Iatentud` Apr. 9. |90I.

R. LONGTINE.

VVVVVVV AR'FDR EXPLUSIVE ENGINES.

(No Model.) 3 S eeeeeeeeeee l.

Ptented Apr. 9, |90l.

R. L'UNGTINE. VAL VE GEAR FORNEXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application-filed May 22, 1900) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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, IIIIIH Patented Apr. 9, |90I. R.- LUNGTINE.

VALVE GEAR FR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(.'Appcaticn filed May 22, 1900) `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT LONGTINE, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRADFORD GASENGINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

VALVE-G EAR FOR EXPLOSIVE-ENGIN ES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 671,931, dated April9, 1901.

Application filed May 22, 1900I To (1J/Z whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT LONGTINE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bradford, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Automatic-Out-Off Vacuum-Valve Mechanismfor Gas and Gasolene Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement -in gas and gasolene engines, oneobject of my invention being to provide speed-governorcontrolled devicesfor automatically operating the gas and air valves in unison and forregulating the operation of said gas and air valves,whereby the chargesof gas and air will be reduced as the speed of the engine increases andincreased as the speed of the engine decreases.

A further object of my invention is to provide a valve-chest with aremovable head, which carries the gas and air valves and theirconnections, which construction of the removable head' and the valvesenables access to be readily attained to the valves and greatlysimplifies the construction of the engine and correspondingly reducesthe cost thereof.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination ofdevices hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of agas-engine provided with a valve chest, removable head, and valvesembodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectionalview taken through the valve-chest and valve-head. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view of the valvehead, showing the same removed from thevalve-chest. Fig. 4 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view takenthrough the valvechest and valve-head on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a valve-chamber M, which isadapted to be bolted to the-engine-cylinder, as shown. The saidvalve-chamber is provided with the port K, which communicates with thecylinder, the exhaust-port P, the gas-port N, and the air-port O. Theexhaust-port P is controlled by the valve R, which has an operat- SerialNo. 17,591. (No model.)

ing-rod L, that is connected to and operated by a cam on the engine toopen the inner end of the exhaust-port, a spring 10 being provided tonormally close the exhaust-valve against the inner end of said port.

The outer end of the valve-chamber M is provided with a cylindricalopening 11, in which is itted a valve-head J, which is removabletherefrom at will and is provided at its outer end with a iiange-plate12, which conforms in size and shape with the crosssection of thevalve-chamber M. Bolts 13 are employed to secure the valve-head in theopening 11, and thereby close the end of the valve-chamber M. The saidvalve-head J is provided with a port O', which registers with theair-port O, and a port N', which registers with the gas-port N. Theinner end of the said valve-head is closed, as at 14, and is providedwith a port 15, which is adapted to admit gas to the mixing-chamber 16of the valve-chamber, and a port 17, which is adapted to admit air tosaid mixing chamber. A tubular bushing 18 is screwed in the valvehead,the axis of which is concentric with the port 15, and a similar tubularbushing 19 `is also screwed in the valve-head and has its axisconcentric with the port 17. A gas-valve G is normally seated on thegas-inlet port 15, and an air-valve F is normally seated on the air#inlet port 17. The respective rods or stems 20 21 of said gas and airvalves operate in and extend through the tubular bushings 18 19, and tothe projecting outer end of the stem or rod 21 of the air-valve issecured one end of the yoke H, as at 22. A spring 23 on the stem or rod21 bears between the inner side of the yoke H and the outer side of thevalve-head, the function of said spring being to normally close theair-valve. An adjusting-nut 24 is screwed on the threaded outer portionof the gas-valve stem or rod 20, a spring 25 on said stem or rod beinginterposed between the outer end ofthe bushing 18 and the saidadjusting-nut and serving to normally close the gas-valve, and a nut 26on the outer threaded end of the gas-valve stem or rod 2O is providedwith an annular groove 27, which engages an open slot 28 at the end ofthe yoke H opposite the connection 22 thereof with the air-valve stem orrod.

IOO

It Will be understood from the foregoing and by reference to thedrawings that the gas and air valves and their connections are itted in,secured to, and entirely carried by the removable head J, which isfitted in the outer end of the valve -chamber, and that hence when saidhead J is detached from the valve-chamber said gas and air valves andtheir connections are detached with it, and that this construction ofthe removable valvehead and the gas and air valves enables access to bereadily obtained to the gas and air valves and the same to be removedand adjusted readily as may be required. It will be further understoodthat by means of the yoke H, to which the stems or rods of the gas andair valves are connected, said gas and air Valves are adapted to operatestrictlyin unison, being opened inwardly by the attenuation of air orpartial vacuum created in the engine-cylinder and closed and movedoutwardly against the gas and air inlet ports by their respectivesprings.

The valve-head J is provided on its outer side with the pairs of lugs orears 29 30. A vertically-movable slide A travels between the said pairsof lugs or ears and is provided with slots 31, in which operateantifrictiourollers 32, revoluble on axles 33, that connect the pairs ofears or lugs. By this means the slide A is supported on the Valve-head.Said vertically-movable slide is provided on its outer side with awedge-like cam 34, which engages the inner side of the yoke H, as shown.It will be understood that by raising and lowering said slide A the saidyoke is permitted to move more or less toward the valve-head, and thathence the stroke of the gas and air valves may be regulated,the strokeof said valves being greatest when the slide A is at the upper limit ofits movement, and by lowering said slide A suiiiciently said gas and airvalves may be so controlled as to be permitted to open to only a veryslight eX- tent, if atall.

The valve-chamber M is provided on its upper side, nearits outer end,with a pair of ears or lugs 35, between which a bell-crank lever B ispivoted, as at 36. The outwardlyextending arm of said bell-crank leveris loosely pivoted to the upper end of the slide A by a pin 37, whichtravels in a transverselydisposed slot 38, with which said slide A isprovided, and the upwardly-extending arm of said bell-crank lever isconnected,by means of a rod C, to a suitable governor, with which theengine is provided. The said governor is of the centrifugal type and maybe of any preferred form and may be geared to and operated by the enginein any suitable manner. I have not shown nor more particularly describedthe governor and means whereby the same is operated, as this will bereadily understood by those skilled in engines of this class.

It will be understood that upon an increase in the speed of the enginethe governor,

through the rod C and bell-crank leve1'l3,Will lower the slide A, andthereby either reduce the stroke of the gas and air valves or cut thesame off entirely, as may be required, hence either reducing the chargesof gas and air fed to the engine or altogether pretermitting the same,and that upon a decrease in the speed of the engine the governor,throughthe valve C and lever B,will raise the slide A,and thereby increase thestroke of the gas and air valves, hence proportionately increasing thecharges of gas and air.

It follows that the charges of gas and air are automatically controlledby the speed of the engine, and that by adjusting the governor as may berequired the engine may be caused to operate at anydesired rate ofspeed.

From the inner end of the bell-cranklever extends a rod D, on which isscrewed an adjustable counterweight E, the function of which is tocounterbalance the slide A and bell-crank lever, and hence render thesame responsive to the slightest variation in the speed of the engine.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In a gas or gasoleneengine, a valvechamber having an exhaust-port, a mixingchamber, and gasand air ports, in combination with a removable head, fitted in anopening in the rear side of the valve-chamber, said removable headhaving gas and air ports communicating with those of the valve-chamberand with the mixing-chamber, gas and air valves carried by saidremovable valvehead and having their stems or rods projecting beyond theouter side thereof, a yoke secured to the projecting end of one of saidrods and detachably secured to the projecting end of the other, a slideor key, carried by said removable head, said slide or key and said yokecoacting to limit the strokes of the gas and air valves, a bell-cranklever, mounted on the valve chamber and connected to said slide, acentrifugal governor operated by the engine, and a rod connecting saidcentrifugal governor to said bell-crank lever, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a gas or gasolene engine, a valvechamber having an exhaust-port, amixingchamber, and gas and air ports, in combination with a removablehead, fitted in an opening in the rear side of the valve-chamber, saidremovable head havinggas and airports communicating with those of thevalve chainber and With the mixing-chamber, gas and air valves carriedby said removable Valvehead and having their stems or rods projectingbeyond the outer side thereof, a yoke secured to the projecting end ofone of said rods and detachably secured to the projecting end of theother, a slide or key, carried by said removable head, said slide or keyand said yoke coacting to limit the strokes of the gas and air Valves, abell-crank lever, mounted on the valve -chamber and connected to saidslide, said bell-crank lever hav- IIO IZO

ing a counterbalancing-Weight, a centrifugal governor operated by'theengine, and a rod connecting said centrifugal governor to saidbell-crank lever, substantially as described.

3. In a gas or gasolene engine, a valvechamber having an exhaust-port, amixingchamber, and gas and air ports, in combination with a removablehead, fitted in an opening in the rear side of the valve-chamber, saidremovable head having gas and air ports communicating with those of thevalve-chamber and with the mixing-chamber, gas and air valves carried bysaid removable valvehead and having their stems or rods p'rojectingbeyond the outer side thereof, a yoke pivoted to the projecting end ofone of said rods, an annularly-grooved adj listing-nut on the projectingstem or rod of the other valve,

my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in 3o the presence of twoWitnesses.

ROBERT LONGTINE.

Witnesses:

THos. B. HOGAN, WM. DoBIE.

